── requests are closed ! i do not write nsfw fics ! i usually avoid any toxic relationships or triggering subjects such as ab.se ; yandere ; su.c.de ; etc ! updates and requests will be slow !
── find my works under the tags: #🎐 ─ fanfic ; #🎐 ─ imagines ; #🎐 ─ headcanons ; #🎐— genshin ; 🎐— ateez ; etc
── find random posts from me under the tags: #🎐 — alex talks .
WHY CAN'T I STOP HAVING KAZUHA BRAINROTS I'M JUST TRYING TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND WRITE SOMETHING WITHOUT LITERALLY HAVING TO START MY 50TH FIC ABOUT HIM FUCKKKK THIS IS FUCKIIINNNGG RIDICULOUS
── this story may contain triggering topics such as death - injuries - dark thoughts, spirits and ghosts ; sure to read at your own accord ; distorsions in the main plotline by a bit ; adeptus oc ;
(𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 ─ 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐈𝐕) "it is in a human's nature to show hypocrisy. they fear something simply because they do not understand it, then comes banishment. only when it serves them, do they sing you praise. no matter how great of a gift one might have, their reputation will be tarnished before recieving glory. such a vile way of living, if you ask me."
years have passed since the last time hualing even came close to touching a gift she used to take for granted, namely mortality, and she was not talking about a human's fragility nor the way they'd grow old and pass on, she was far too young to long for that just yet. instead, what she wished for was the ability to walk amongst them all and not feel like every single step she took was on a complete different realm, the ability to live a normal life without shadows crawling in the corner of her eyes and the ability to return to a warm home, be it in poverty, but the very least, in warmth. was it mortality or humanity in truth? she could not tell.
born in the outskirts of liyue harbor and in a small family with not much wealth to their names besides their martial arts skills, hua had come quickly to the realisation that her childhood may never be a picture perfect one, especially not when her eyes would remain locked on people that were not even there to begin with. "a medium!" her father said, "a curse!" everyone else shouted back. afraid of her own daughter, hua's mother had refused to acknowledge the girl's presence at any means. her father, on the other hand, not being able to offer hua a future in which she would have been accepted as she was, told her to leave for a village up north, qingce, where her mediumship would become appreciated and praised, and so she did.
her plans changed however the moment she took a step on wuwang hill, where spirits roamed as freely as a bird would soar in the sky. that's when she decided to remain on the mountains, helping the ghosts wishing to find peace pass on, or fulfilling their last wills and resolving arguments between spirits, which surprisingly, happened quite often.
(𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 ─ 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐈) "i have dedicated my life to martial arts ever since i was a young girl and my father taught me everything i know today... how i long to see his face once more."
hualing is recognised as a polearm user, however not once had anyone seen her with a physical weapon in hand. her attacks rely on her body and never her weapon, thus she is more of a physical fighter than anything. charged attacks with hualing summon the illusion of a hydro polearm as the adeptus completes an aerial jump. when her feet touch once more the ground, the illusion downs on one of her enemies.
"upon you!" "take this!" "cleansing waves!" ︳her elemental skill summons the same polearm, however this time in her hands. the polearm can be used in concordance with her martial arts which will infuse her attacks with hydro for up to 30 seconds.
"leave this realm!" "perish!" "judgment is upon you!" ︳ hualing's elemental burst is a one time damage dealer. used for heavy hits, the adeptus' eyes begin to shine as she summons a wave of hydro illusions resembling her weapon. upon her command, the spears impales the enemies surrounding her.
(𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 ─ 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬) "huh? this? I've heard that hydro favours the justice, perhaps it was a recompense for the spirits fooling me. you'd be amazed at how even after death, tricksters still remain tricksters."
while on a stroll through wuwang hill one evening, the medium heard the wail coming from the forest, loud and clear enough to make her head pound. driven by worry, hualing advanced towards the creek surrounding the hidden domain of zhou, where, sitting on a rock, stood a young boy. skin translucent and eyes full of tears, he watched bewildered as the woman sat herself next to him and asked what had happened. what she had not seen, however, was the way a mischievous smile player on the spirit's lips.
"sister, i think i lost my toy.. can you help me find it?" the kid played coy as he spoke and wandered around the creek, looking for something that was not even there, and the moment hua turned her back, unaware of the spirit's intentions, the once timid child threw his arms before him and pushed hua trough the doors of the domain, successfully stealing away what made her human.
returning from the domain was an easy task, especially with years of exploring it at her belt and a newfound hydro vision, what proved to be a tougher challenge was to come to terms with the fact that now, after years of helping them find peace, hua had become a spirit herself. had she died? no, impossible, she was still feeling, touching, sensing, she was alive, yet on a complete different realm in the same time. now, where she stood, humans became an anomaly, not ghosts.
(𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 ─ 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐳𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢) "it had always baffled me as to how people would so willingly sign their lives away for such small prices, contracts never stood for exactly what they preached.. fairness.. in my eyes. so perhaps i still find it hard to believe that I've signed one myself. to this day, i am still indebted to rex lapis with my life and i shall be until the day i fulfill my duty as an adeptus, even if i don't quite like how that sounds."
when hualing showed herself before the geo archon, who promised to fulfill everyone's wishes as long as the returning price would be just as important, she had not expected much. her eyes feared to meet the amber ones picking her appearance apart, and her lips trembled as she explained what had happened at wuwang hill, waiting for his voice to speak her sentence.
"very well, i shall bring you back amongst the living, in return, however, you will take on the duty of a protector for liyue. live eternally you will, for as long as you'll fulfill your task. am i clear?"
it's been exactly sixty years since she's signed her name on the piece of enchanted parchment, yet to this day she looked no older than twenty. perhaps it was simply because she feared to test the rock's wrath, so hualing would uphold her part of the contract religiously, becoming a medium for the mortals to use, no matter how many times they got on her nerves with their requests.
nowadays, whenever she would be tasked with a seance in liyue harbor, the new adeptus would pass by the funeral parlor with a smile on her lips, eager to sip on excellently brewed tea and chat away with the man named zhongli.
(𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 ─ 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐨) "such a strange human being, but her wisdom and words about the dead always fascinated me. it has been so long since I've got to meet someone who sees and thinks like i do, so i find her presence quite... pleasant."
hu tao had met hualing on one of her trips to wuwang hill, at first mistaking her for a simple adventurer, to which the young adeptus had not denied.
"and what brings such a brave adventurer to liyue harbor?" hualing could not help but giggle at the others's obliviousness, replying that she was initially visiting a good friend of hers, a man by the name of zhongli, however her plans changed when she had been called to assist with a quite troublesome spirit near her home in qingce village. "not many like it when i speak so freely about what i do." the adeptus explained, to which hu tao added that she too, as the director of the wangsheng funeral parlor, found it hard to express her fascination with the afterlife with passersby.
thus the two became quite close, to a point in which they would assist each other with their work and spent time together simply to talk about each other's experience with spirits and ghosts. despite being completely unaware that hua was in fact not a mortal, hu tao represented the closest thing to a best friend the adeptus had ever had.
to top it all off, in her free time, hu tao would make sure to join her and zhongli whenever the two would be serving tea and chatting away, even if the flowery way in which the man shared his knowledge didn't quite get to her.
(𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 ─ 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐱𝐢𝐚𝐨) "ah.. adeptus xiao, you say? listen i... it's not like i dislike his teachings, quite the opposite! i just.. wish he'd see me in more of a positive light. i may be new to an adeptus' duty, but i am most definitely not as incompetent as he thinks i am. quite the bummer.. i really, really look up to him."
when zhongli brought the girl to the wangshu inn, he did not explain what he was doing nor what was the reason for their trip all the way from liyue harbor to the inn. he only spoke the words "come with me" and hualing obeyed without putting any questions. that until they found themselves on the highest floor, waiting until the sun was down and everyone was deep in slumber.
just when hua opened her mouth to speak, a soft breeze made her swallow her words right up, the presence of a third person now evident to her, and the seemingly unbothered zhongli stood still, back to the both of them and eyes on the land before him. instantly recognising the mask at the man's waist, the new adeptus bowed her head respectfully, awaiting morax' words.
"you've called for me." xiao completely ignored her presence. it was that night when she learnt that the one and only yaksha, general alatus, would now become her mentor.
the relationship between the two would soon become quite turbulent. xiao disliked having a little puppy following him around at all times, especially when he wasn't informed of her existence before osial's appearance at all, yet that was the only time he'd ever seen her and not a word had been spoken between the two at any moment.
hua on the other hand, has a twinkle in her crystal white eyes the moment she settles her sight on him. is this admiration? oh wait, but her heart is beating so fast in her chest, could it be...? there's absolutely no way.
(𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 ─ 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐮) "the crux? the captain herself is a courageous soul, and presents wonderful company, however i really do wish they'd stop calling upon me to deal with ghosts on their ship. such a trivial matters can be handled with just a bit of salt."
(𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 ─ 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐤𝐚𝐳𝐮𝐡𝐚) "it was fascinating watching him weave flowery poems out of thin air. the first time i stumbled upon him, he whispered that i carry the scent of rain and judgement. i wonder what he meant by that."
── consider that tumblr only lets me post up to ten images on one single blog, and that I'm absolutely hellbent and I'll die before i let someone ruin my aesthetic layouts, there will be multiple masterlists for a single region! if any of the characters are not present in my masterlists, it's simply because i do not write for them, so please keep that in mind while requesting, thank you in advance!
would any of you believed me if i said that almost a year down the line and I'm still editing and writing Chalk Born? it's like not even that long as a fic, i have no idea what's taking me so long.
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─ As an Eastern European, an European in general, i feel like it's very important, almost my duty, for me to share this. My platform might not be as big or as active, but this is the least i can do.
─ Make sure you stray away from Russian propaganda and inform yourself from reliable sources and officially confirmed news. Trolls are all over the place online, spreading misinformation and shifting blame, so it's crucial for us to do a fact check on everything we see online. Also remember that this is not a trend for the media, this is not a subject that we should just forget about or let it fade with time because the medias no longer profit from it.
── your hair has been adorned with a golden flower and your face with many cracks, and perhaps a heart like his, scared like your own, would help you learn just what the meaning of your own life and creation has been. perhaps he would give you a meaning.
── gn ; angst with (finally) comfort ; SPOILERS FOR THE INAZUMA ARCHON QUEST (prologue - act 3) AND SCARAMOUCHE'S BACKSTORY ; uh information dump because I'm bad at dialogue ; slight alterations to the whole story ; reader is a minor deity in inazuma ; toxic relationships (mostly mother - children) ; injuries, death and battle ; reader has an electro vision and uses a katana ; description of death and minor character death ; reader’s given name is mitsuyo ; mention of trauma and just mental health in general ; seriously, there are spoilers for everything so please don't read before completing the quest itself.
── part 1 ; part 2 ; part 3 (final part) .
When Ei had first risen to power, she had created three puppets of different morals. The first, whom she had entrusted with her "heart", she had deemed too gentle, whether he was a tool or a human, for he shed tears in his sleep upon his creation. He should have become the Carrier of The Gnosis amongst the three. The second, she had deemed too frail for their skin began to shatter like porcelain under the pressure of their creator's memories and principles. They had been the One made to Bestow Judgment. And so came the third, a copy of Ei's own appearance, created without the flaws the first two had been born with. Compared to her peers, the Shogun did not shed tears, it did not shatter, nor did it smile and it did not laugh. To Ei, that was the perfection she had seeked, a body and a mind strong enough to bring glory to the archon's demands. She had become The Upkeeper of Eternity.
As time passed, the two first puppets, although older and wiser, had begun feeling forgotten by the deity. Like two defective toys that she had no interest in. And so, a tormenting fire of fury began sparking in the first's heart as his gnosis was taken without any mercy. All the while, a river of unshed tears had gathered in the soul of the second, who had learned to bear the pain of their creator's past and yet the katana they'd been born to wild had been snatched off their hands without a second thought. The first had rioted, demanding entry within the plane of the Archon. He wanted to prove that he was more than capable of fulfilling his mission, and when Ei denied it, the flames became too dangerous to tame. Infuriated, the first puppet chose to cut his long locks and flee from Tenshukaku, beaconing his sibling to follow on his steps.
Yet they refused, and remained trapped within the walls of the palace like an obedient child, letting their mother play with their hair as they watched the city from above, craft them a fake vision that they had no need for in truth, just to fit in with the common folk.. and slowly growing into a power hungry, arrogant being that would not stop their quest until the divine sword had been put back in their hands and their skin had stopped shattering.
However, now that you had achieved your mission, that the sword was back in your hands and that you had sealed someone's fate, you began wondering.. Was it really what you had desired all this time? Was power really the thing you seeked so much?
Ei's memories had been long locked inside your own mind, a way of preventing her from suffering from the erosion every archon feared so much, and yet the feeling of lightning bending at your will as you ended someone's life.. That was not what you wanted to feel. It did not make you feel as though you could control better the aftermath of the erosion, not even the slightest bit. On the contrary, once again, your mother had been right before. You were too weak for your own good.
War was all you can see and hear, electricity flowing through your fingertips as you saw them bow at your feet, begging you not to slay them as you did the serpent.. but this was not you.. These were the memories of a kagemusha, a body crafted just like yours, by the hands of a god. These were Ei's memories, the reality of the situation far too cruel for you to endure alone.
Your Katana had clattered loudly as it hit the ground, unfocused eyes snapping back to reality and the series of calmness shattering all around you. Aether gasped loudly, Paimon began yelling about something shattering, the Raiden spoke her words of disapproval and the one person you began to truly care for took hurried steps back, taking his hands off your skin like it burned him. Kazuha's hands trembled as he looked at them in horror, pieces of porcelain in his palms that seemed to resemble the colour of your own skin, yet you felt nothing..
Your skin was shattering.. Yet you felt nothing.
Perhaps that was the moment when your creator had finally made up her mind, perhaps she's decided that you would never serve her at anything for you were, in fact, far too frail to accomplish your mission. She had whispered sweet words of encouragement and endearment throughout your endeavours, but even she knew that you would not be able to stand the divine punishment yourself.
For a moment, all you could see was darkness, the same feeling of vertigo grasping your body yet this time was different, because as you turned around, instead of seeing her meditating peacefully, the entity revered as Beelzebub had the same katana you've used merely moments ago, little away from your neck. You had intended to take her punishment without a second thought, letting your hands rise slightly upwards as if accepting a gift that she was bestowing you with, and you closed your eyes, awaiting the moment for the calmness of death to sweep you over, and yet it never came.
Kazuha could not stay and watch any longer, he did not understand what was happening and he began fearing that every single move you make would have your skin shattering like it did as he held you. Perhaps he blamed himself, in all of his confusion, his mind began connecting points and pieces that would deem him as the reason you're now suffering, yet when he recovered from the strange feeling that took over his body and his eyes settled on the archon's sword coming for your neck, quite literally, he refused to stay and watch any longer.
The ronin drew his own sword, feeling electricity spark on his own skin as he jumped right in front of you and let his blade clash against the divine one. It was a foreign feeling, Kazuha had felt before the buzzing sensation around him, but it was always because of an electro user that wielded their vision around him. This time, however, it felt as though it was coming from himself, an empowering force guiding his hands as a sharp, violet light filled the room. Unbeknownst to him, the hollow vision pinned on his scarf, just below his anemo one, had begun shining brighter than it had done in years. 'There will always be those who dare to brave the lightning's glow.'
He was pushing with all of his might, teeth clenched and bared and eyes glaring into Ei's. The harder he pushed, the more her own expression turned displeased, and she did not intend to play around with foolish samurai, so the moment he pushed, so did she, a flow of energy separating them as though their blades could no longer stand the pressure. Ei's eyes had turned wide, confused as to what just happened, while Kazuha had been thrown back to the tatami floor with a grunt, his only way of steadying himself being his sword. The now hollow vision clattered to the ground, making it to your feet and you picked it up without a second thought, yet everyone remained too concentrated on the archon to pay you any mind.
From across the room, you noticed Aether who began softly jumping on his feet as though preparing himself to dash forward, and you gave him a court nod as your eyes met, backing away harshly before grabbing Kazuha's shoulders to steady him and you ran. You've heard Paimon's shout but you decided that not turning around would be for the better, Aether knew what to do, after all, Yae Miko had definitely had a hand in his arrival at Tenshukaku in the first place, and it did not take a lot to understand that the portal to the Plane of Euthymia had still been open as Ei showed herself, he had everything he needed to succeed. You hoped.. He had.
You continue running, hand holding Kazuha's harshly as if you feared you'll lose him on the way, yet he followed you closely, without daring to ask a single question. As you made your way to the statue, your feet had begun slowing down, adrenaline wearing down and chest rising irregularly as you tried to steady your breathing. "Kazuha!" It was an unfamiliar voice, but it belonged to a soldier of the resistance you concluded, someone of high seniority. A few others followed behind him, yet they all seemed to halt as their eyes settled on you, some growing with fury and other with confusion at the way your face had begun chipping away. Your stare remained harsh itself, but you did not seem to wish harm upon them, so the general continued forward with careful steps, his hand reaching to pat the shoulder of the man beside you. "We're returning to Sangonomiya at this instant and you'll tell us everything that's happened, that's an order." Yet by the way his tail wagged and his years fell, you could understand instantly that he only wished the best for his friend.
"I shall, but they'll be coming with us."
"Take my hand, Mitsuyo, we can leave this place! We can make a world in which we write our own fate and only we decide what makes us worthy of power!" But you did not reply, you simply watched the sakura petals fall from the veranda you were seated at. For a long while, the only sound that could be heard was the whistle of the wind and the ruffling of the tree's flowery branches, but he did not dare to speak again, waiting for your reply with his breath stopping in his lungs. You shook your head after giving it some thought, not seeming interested in his proposal yet not surprised by his daring nature.
"We were not meant for the outside world, Kunikuzushi." You signed, closing your eyes as your head hung low. At your words, his voice began shaking, his eyes watering like they had usually done, as underneath the hard exterior he put up, your brother had a fragile heart. "She'll abandon us! Didn't you hear? She'll kill us, Mitsuyo, we cannot stay here any longer!" He insisted, his hands now grasping at your kimono, yet all you could do was watch as he fell next to you, his head resting on your lap and his tears falling carelessly on the soft material of your clothes. One of your hands began caressing the top of his head gently, fingers running through his long hair lovingly, but you could not do much besides console him until his tears dried up and his soft snores filled the air.
The following morning, as you entered his chamber to wake him up, you felt as though emptiness filled your heart. Kunikuzushi did as he promised to do the previous evening, he left. His clothes were neatly folded and settled on the tatami flooring, the golden arrow Ei had gifted him now resting on top of them. That had been the only time you allowed yourself to shed tears.
"I understand. We may be able to provide you shelter, however even as a divine priestess, I'm not completely sure how to heal your… wounds." Instinctively, your hand came up to touch the skin across your face, which was now rough with cracks and chips. The priestess had been nothing but gentle with you ever since you arrived on Watatsumi, yet you could not help but remain on your guard, giving her small answers of yes and no and letting Kazuha tell the tale for you.
You promised to tell him the truth when you made your way to the shrine, yet you found no time for such things after your arrival, on one side soldiers bombarding you with questions and judgemental assumptions, and on the other guilt eating away at your soul the more you thought about Kazuha. You've lied to him, you've betrayed his trust, you've let him down and yet.. he still dove head first to save you, and you stood and watched him risk his life for you.
"You cannot trouble yourself with my flaws, they shall heal themselves shortly." Kazuha's eyes widened only for a brief second, his lips parting and inhaling sharply, perhaps surprised by the fact that you've already been through this before, or by the way you still mentioned your head high and authority in your voice, still, that was the most you've spoken ever since you arrived at the shrine. You noticed Sangonomiya Kokomi's lips pressing against each other quickly, as though she found your words hard to believe, yet she did not continue any further. Her head turned to the side and she frowned upon noticing the pink hues in the sky. It was already sundown.
"Very well, I will leave Kazuha to show you the way around the Island." She sighed softly, two fingers coming up to massage the bridge of her nose softly and you couldn't help but notice that even her gentle voice had a rough touch to it as she addressed you.
That very same evening you found out that you were supposed to share a space with one of the shrine maidens, so your state, location and intentions could be accounted for at any given time, but Kazuha would not stand for you to be treated as a prisoner on a land priding itself on its freedom. You ended up sharing a smaller home with him for the time being. It had previously been for the soldiers dedicating themselves to the resistance, yet after they did not return form the battle at Nazuchi, it remained vacant.
None of you dared to speak, not while you were eating, not while you were undressing, not while you were in your beds. You knew that all he did was be considerate and give you the time to come to him yourself, yet you wished he would have reached out first, to give you that one small push you needed to unleash everything you've been holding in ever since your brother left.
The samurai remained sitting on the edge of his bed, a book in his hands and a small candle next to him, flickering weakly. You remained laying on your back, eyes open wide and staring at the ceiling. Your hands were clasped together tightly on your abdomen, perhaps a way of stopping yourself from touching your face any longer, as an irritating feeling spread on every single crack. It took you a moment to realise that they began healing and a second for the samurai to notice the unique event.
As your wounds began healing, golden particles, like small little stars, began forming on your skin before slowly floating upwards towards the ceiling, where they faded quickly. Surprised by the sight, Kazuha slowly closed his book and placed it next to him, raising one of his fingers as though to point to the candle and the flame went out immediately, leaving the only source of light evident in the room, the strange stars coming from your skin. "It's impressive, is it not? The shrine maidens back home always told me they'd never seen such a thing." All he could do was hum and his crimson eyes fell from the ceiling to your face, his heart stopping as he noticed you looking right at him. You looked breathtaking, he concluded, even with your skin chipped in certain places and with tired eyes. Your appearance was nothing short of a god's, and he longed to sing about it in his short poems.
"It is." He spoke softly, his whole body moved across the room to come closer to you, and he cautiously sat on the edge of your own bed, staring down at you with a gentle smile, beaconing you to speak. "I've heard plenty say that the Shogun had a child of her own." He tasted the waters with his statement, tilting his head slightly when he noticed you frowning, as though dismissing his words. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss of words when it comes to describing my relationship with the Shogun. I doubt there even is a word for it.. But supposing that I'd have to put it in mortal words, the Shogun would be like a younger sister to me." Noticing his confusion, you smiled yourself, slowly getting up once the golden stars came no longer and once your skin hurt no more. One of your hands came to touch his own, while the other helped you steady yourself up.
After regaining his composure, Kazuha wasted no time in giggling the confusion off his face, witty words taking you aback. "You must be way older than I've anticipated, then, to consider an Archon your younger sister." And you replied right back. "Quite old in fact, but do not confuse the Raiden Shogun for the Archon of Eternity, Ei. They are two completely different beings. Before her reign, Ei used a sacred art to create three beings, meant to help her watch over Inazuma."
"And why is that?" By now the samurai began slowly leaning into you, letting his head rest in your lap and his body on your bed as you told your story. Even if you could not see his face clearly you could not help but notice that he did not seem tired almost at all. It felt as though you were telling a story to a child, forgotten memories of Kunikuzushi insisting on you telling him one of your many stories, unfolding before your eyes as you played with Kazuha's silver locks. "In her pursuit of Eternity, Ei chose to retreat to a domain in her conscience where she could meditate eternally, and she needed someone to watch over the land as she was gone. The first puppet was tasked to carry her gnosis, the second to be the master of Musou No Hitotachi, and the third to handle the affairs of the land posing with the same appearance as Ei."
He took a moment to thank, his breath steady as he hummed as though pensive. "If my intuition does not mislead me, you are the second, is that so?" You hummed right back, showing your approval, and continued your story. "But there had been a major flaw she omitted while creating the first two puppets. She gifted the first one a heart far too gentle for his own good, and he began crying in his sleep. While the second, she gifted with her all memories, to make sure they'd be wise enough while bestowing judgment. From the very moment the second took their very first breath however, their skin began shattering under the pressure of erosion. And so she created the third without any of the errors she's made beforehand. That is how we came into being."
For the rest of the night, you remained with your hands in Kazuha's hair, telling him every ounce of truth you had hidden away, and he listened carefully, allowing his curiosity get the best of him through his questions. As you came to an end to your story, you felt as though your shoulders became lighter, your heart singing with joy in your chest. You asked yourself if this was what freedom felt like..
"Come with me." The samurai spoke out of nowhere, making your eyes drop to his face where you could slightly make out the form of his lips, pulled together in a hopefully smile. "With Beidou and the Crux. We could explore the lands around us and be together until eternity proves mortal, we could… find your brother." His hand reached out to your face, fingers barely tracing the skin on your cheek and as you searched deeper and deeper for a reason to stay, you understood that you could not find a single one. "I.. I'd like that. I want to know what freedom is and I'd like to travel with you.
yooo- so i have good and bad news- starting with the good news first! I finally have more time on my hands (school's been- a wild ride-) so I'll be posting more content 👀 and the bad news are that I sadly had to scrap most of Chalk Born, my upcoming Albedo Imagine, because of plot changes- I'm currently putting all of my efforts in my kazuha short fic so Chalk Born has to wait-
LIVING ON LIES IS SO AMAZING WTF HOW IS THIS APP FREE I MEAN IM NOT COMPLAINING BUT GOODNESS EVERYTHING WAS ON POINT 😭✋🏻✨
I'M SO HAPPY YOU ENJOYED IT! 💕 it's just a short fic but i really really want to put all of my time in it so everything is nice and neat, so sorry if it takes a while for the chapters to come out 👉👈 I hope you'll enjoy the next chapters just as much!
── to him, you were nothing but an adventurer, a young soul that wished to get a taste of what the world had to offer, especially the sea, so he never questioned it when you departed. to you, he was nothing but a samurai that had decided to take shelter within Liyue's lands with no other intention than finding safety, but was that really the truth?
── gn ; angst ; SPOILERS FOR THE INAZUMA ARCHON QUEST (prologue - act 3) ; reader is a minor deity in inazuma ; slight toxic relationships (?) ; injuries, death and battle ; reader has an electro vision and uses a katana ; minor character death ; it’s implied that the reader has a somewhat longer hair, gender still neutral ; reader’s given name is mitsuyo ; mention of trauma and just mental health in general ; seriously, there are spoilers for everything so please don't read before completing the quest itself.
── part 1 ; part 2 ; part 3 .
"Such a treasure you are." Ei's fingers ran through your hair gently, thinking about how beautiful you were going to look with her little present on you. The sakura trees had already begun blooming, glorious shades of pinks and whites decorating the scenery before you, it was so mesmerising that you could barely focus on the archon and her kind words. As she busied herself with placing the golden accessories everywhere in your hair, you watched as the city came to life, buzzing with humans left and right, and as you noticed little children playing with a temari, your curiosity grew.
"Ei-san ? Why is it that I cannot leave the palace by myself?" Your quiet voice made the woman halt her movements, panic growing in her chest at the sole thought of not having you in eyesight. When her hands completely left your locks, you moved to meet her stare only to find turmoil written all over her delicate features. It was in times like these that you wished most to know what she was thinking of. On rare occasions she came out as herself, most of the time, however, you were left to trail after her puppet through Tenshukaku, and, true to its nature, it wouldn't even give you any kind glances, or spend time with you at all. It was a mere puppet, afterall, tinkered with gears and clay, not with flesh and blood. It did not have a brain for its own, nor did it have feelings to spare, just a goal to achieve: eternity.
Perhaps, for the true Raiden, it was easier to be sealed away in the Plane of Euthymia, where she could see everything that happened and that didn't just by meditating, where she could watch over you no matter how far you were from her metallic body. It was for her own convenience that you were not allowed to leave the palace, if anything were to happen to you within its walls, she'd slash her domain open and tear down whoever even looked at you the wrong way, actions she could not take if you were not by her puppet's side. It was the only way, she told herself, to protect you. To make sure you won't leave her too.
Yet when she spoke, the words that left her lips were completely different from what she meant and felt. "You are far too weak to leave on your own." Her words seemed to only bring fire in your eyes, making you nod vigorously as if you've made up your mind. "Then I'll train harder! I'll get stronger and stronger until you'll have faith in me!" You smiled brightly, pointing at your vision and the only thing she could do was smile back, her warm palm caressing your cheek lovingly.
"I've had faith in you from the moment you came into being."
You arrived at Tenshukaku the exact evening after the combat, all alone and with electricity surrounding you like an aura. It was cracking and messing with your hair and your clothes, but you couldn't care less as you stormed right into the throne room. The guards standing there only gulped in fear after closing the doors in your leave, while the servants stopped to look at the doors as if expecting you to burst through them once more.
"Ei-sama, I need to speak with you." You demanded with a threatening tone, ignoring the way the Raiden Shogun glared at you. Her hands gripped a scroll drowned in red colours, the Kujou emblem shining on it as if it was new. Your fury only grew, the electrical energy surrounding you becoming so overwhelming that before you knew it, the simple buzzing turned into furious thunders heard from the outside. That was also when you began feeling a familiar sensation, vertigo settling in as the darkness clouded your view. "You've come to visit?" Your mother's cheerful tone greeted you the moment you set foot in her domain, but the hard look in your eyes spoke a completely different story.
"I've been fooled, haven't I?"
There was no need for her to even reply, she simply remained in her meditational potion, closing her eyes and pressing her lips together as though she was thinking deeply about your question, when in reality, the answer was right in front of your eyes. Turmoil settled over you, making your breath shallow and your voice small as you asked: "Mother, what is the meaning of an aspiration? For I do not understand this word."
"That, my dear, is a question that gods like us will never be able to answer."
Kazuha was livid. In all of his life as a samurai in Inazuma, Kazuha had never heard anything like this, yet everyone around the Sangonomiya shrine seemed to already know about it, even if they remained dead silent when he asked. The Shogun had a child, someone to continue her legacy as a ruler, afterall, your existence alone must've been proof that divinity carries on even throughout generations, right? That eternity runs deeper than just immortality.
"What's been bothering you?" The priestess inquired as she made her way down the stairs. The shrine had always been a place of tranquility and peace to the residents of the island, and as he looked at the view before him, the young ronin had to agree. The soft pinks and purples fit perfectly with the bright blue sky and the numerous waterfalls, and one couldn't forget the little bubbles rising from below. Yet all of this beauty and his mind was still running back to you.
"Appearance as delicate as sakura petals, and yet their image seems flawed by the ever tormenting lightning. I cannot help but wonder if the fate they have chosen is the one they long for.." His words had a roughness to them, one that showed his hurt and anger, however he knew it was and it would never be your fault for what had happened, you couldn't have condoned the vision hunting with your whole heart, not after the tranquil nights spent with him on the Alcor, drinking and chatting about one's ideals, could you? And you definitely did not plan the attack at the Nazuchi Beach, the anger and confusion in your eyes was proof of that. Then.. Why were you leading all of it? Why were you embracing such a lonely path even if you stood against it? Was it because you felt a sense of obligation? These thoughts had been plaguing his mind from the moment he returned to the resistance.
The priestess shook her head, sighing as she settled her gentle hand on his shoulder. She smiled sadly, nodding as if pointing towards something and there were no more words needed. She took her leave a moment after, leaving the samurai to dwell on his own thoughts and the options that had been given to him.
The sky had darkened so suddenly, the sound of thunder making Kazuha's teeth clench more than they already had. He stood face to face with the last guard protecting Tenshukaku's gates, their blades clashing against one another, and while the older man had done a wonderful job at welding his weapon, there was no doubt that Kazuha's blade work had been superior by far. The young ronin was swift, vigilant and stronger, and he took little to no time to defeat the soldier, his eyes running to the back the second he heard Gorou call out his name.
They've come to Tenshukaku with a lot on their minds, plans of meeting the Shogun, of delivering justice and taking a stance, plans of meeting her descendant and setting things straight, and yet all he could think of was the unsettling rain caressing his skin. It started out of nowhere, a testimony to the true feelings of the Raiden, yet something felt amiss, and the water droplets, fused with electro energy, felt more like tears than anything else.
He took a deep breath, then began running on the stairs up to Tenshukaku's grounds, not stopping until he found his way inside the palace and all the way up to the grandest room he's ever seen. It took him a moment to realise that Gorou and the other soldiers were no longer following, or that breathing seemed to hurt him, or.. that he had probably showed up in a bad moment.
Up on the highest point of the room stood the Raiden herself, her eyes hard as she watched the situation unfold. The traveler, Aether, was now standing on the tatami, sword held tight in his hand and he listened as a strange, tall woman began to yell, to cry out loud that what had happened was impossible.. "I swear, if you strike me, I will make sure.. The Fatui will make sure that your precious Inazuma.." She took dazed steps back, as though scurrying off like a rat, to avoid her fate, and the one advancing slowly towards her was you, your blade glowing with dangerous purples and violets. "Stop! I order you! Filthy rats… All of you!" You remained silent, eyes hard even as they shifted to his own then back to the woman. One step, then another, and another until the Fatui agent charged, hand reaching forward as though ready to pierce your chest. Everything was happening so fast and yet.. The time seemed to still for just a second. The screams stopped, the growing crackling of electricity in his ears stopped, he could not hear, just watch.
You simply sighed, disappointment on your features as a bright, violet light filled the room, forcing Kazuha to close his eyes, take a hurried step back and shield his face with his arms, and when he opened them again all he could see was your lifeless ones, staring right through his terrified own. And yet.. even as he tried his best to remain focused on you.. He saw it. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the woman fall to her knees, a pained yell ripping from her chest and before he even got to notice her features, her body had become nothing but ash that gently fell on the tatami. Gold and crimson, burning and yet so, so cold..
In the back he heard a sweet and tranquil voice, the Shogun, he came to the conclusion quickly, yet all she spoke was muffled by his thoughts as realisation dawned on him. It was not his first time witnessing the Divine Punishment, this familiar electricity, this sensation of vertigo, the shock of watching as the blade striked without flaw and without hesitation. It was the misunderstood beauty of Musou No Hitotachi, the glory his friend longed for in his last moments of his waking, the glory he had the chance of facing not once, but twice.
And you were the one to deliver it, with lifeless, cold eyes as though you were nothing but a husk, a simple shell of something that you had once been, and as he stared deeper at your visage, the more he became aware of the fact that you were far from conscious. Perhaps he's had it all wrong for years and perhaps that the sacred art of Musou No Hitotachi was never in the way the Shogun wields her blade, perhaps it was never anything to do with her in the first place, and everything to do with you.
He wanted to speak, yet all he could do was let out a hitched breath, all of his body shaking while his hand reached slowly towards your face, and you did nothing but watch him, not even when the warmth of his palm rested on your ice cold skin.
You were a sakura petal, he concluded, but your gentle appearance had been corrupted by the ever tormenting lightning, just as he had supposed..
── if chalk was the spotless soil, then you were sure he was made of it, for he was the prince you, a mere commoner, could only wish to be.
"Chalk is the spotless soil, and was used to make the primordial man." Rhinedottir's eyes remained sharp, her words without a single emotion put in them. She was and had always been, a stoic woman, after all. At times, her strict demeanour would send shivers down her students' spines even before her voice rang around the room, but only one of them saw her caring side, while the other was left to feel and deal with her cold gazes, her sharp words and her tough way of showing affection.
Albedo had always been what you were not, ever since you were old enough to understand what Khemia was, he'd been three steps ahead of you, and that pleased Rhinedottir more than anything. He was the saviour of a nation left forgotten by time, while you were simply the shadow following him around. The way her lips would twist in a small and subtle smile whenever he accomplished something, the way her eyes would light up and her tone would get softer, even as a child, you knew that she loved you, but not like she loved him.
